I'd strongly question whether engineers have a great perspective on usability. Some certainly do but in my experience there's no substitute for a highly qualified designer who can think specifically about a project's usability.
The thing about this point of view is that it seems like it would indicate that the top companies do not hire designers. Website usability has really deteriorated in the last 20 years or so. Or maybe they aren't designing for usability? Netflix is an awful website for example, it takes so long to find something to watch you might as well just give up and not watch anything. The changes and addition to gmail and google docs (Drive now!) have all been usability regressions. Facebook used to be really useful for keeping in touch and finding events around you. Nothing Microsoft has ever made has been usable. So where are all of these designers creating great usable experiences, since its not at Billion and Trillion dollar companies apparently.
Craigslist is a website so elegantly designed that I know 80 year olds that can use it just fine.
Or maybe they aren't designing for usability? Netflix is an awful website for example, it takes so long to find something to watch you might as well just give up and not watch anything.
Yeah I'd argue Netflix absolutely aren't designing for usability. The most usable UI they could offer starts with a big button saying "continue watching the last show you were watching" but that runs the risk of you stopping watching once you're done with that show. They want to push new stuff at you constantly.
Nothing Microsoft has ever made has been usable
I'd argue Windows Phone 7 was one of the purest examples of usable UI I've ever interacted with. Then it all got destroyed. The sad reality is that good, usable design is never the top priority.
I'd argue Windows Phone 7 was one of the purest examples of usable UI I've ever interacted with. Then it all got destroyed. The sad reality is that good, usable design is never the top priority.
Very much agreed. WP7 was a nearly perfect platform for communication.
Comments
I'd strongly question whether engineers have a great perspective on usability. Some certainly do but in my experience there's no substitute for a highly qualified designer who can think specifically about a project's usability.
The thing about this point of view is that it seems like it would indicate that the top companies do not hire designers. Website usability has really deteriorated in the last 20 years or so. Or maybe they aren't designing for usability? Netflix is an awful website for example, it takes so long to find something to watch you might as well just give up and not watch anything. The changes and addition to gmail and google docs (Drive now!) have all been usability regressions. Facebook used to be really useful for keeping in touch and finding events around you. Nothing Microsoft has ever made has been usable. So where are all of these designers creating great usable experiences, since its not at Billion and Trillion dollar companies apparently.
Craigslist is a website so elegantly designed that I know 80 year olds that can use it just fine.
Yeah I'd argue Netflix absolutely aren't designing for usability. The most usable UI they could offer starts with a big button saying "continue watching the last show you were watching" but that runs the risk of you stopping watching once you're done with that show. They want to push new stuff at you constantly.
I'd argue Windows Phone 7 was one of the purest examples of usable UI I've ever interacted with. Then it all got destroyed. The sad reality is that good, usable design is never the top priority.
Very much agreed. WP7 was a nearly perfect platform for communication.